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Another world beckons
Party girl: Lisa-Marie Jeptha shows her mum Lizel the dress she'll wear to the purple-themed party this weekend -- and to her funeral.
Photo: FIONA GOODALL
By HINERANGI VAIMOSO
SHE'S got the dress, she's
chosen the music. She's
drawn up a design for the
cake and she's even picked
the coffin.
Making funeral plans isn't
usually a priority for 11-year-
old girls but that's the
reality for Lisa-Marie Jeptha
of Papakura who's been told
she won't live for much
longer.
Lisa-Marie was diagnosed
with a type of muscular dys-
trophy when she was six
years old after her parents
Lizel and Fabian noticed her
falling over regularly.
Her legs would just give
way. We used to notice her
waddling too,'' Mrs Jeptha
says.
Everything just weakened
and because it was so gradual
you couldn't always tell when
something was wrong.''
The disease progressively
deteriorates the muscles and
can make breathing muscles
weak, causing inadequate
lung function, a reduction of
oxygen and an increase of
carbon dioxide in the blood.
The Jepthas are originally
from South Africa and moved
to Papakura from Christ-
church a week before the
quake in February.
They had planned to take
Lisa-Marie and her two
sisters on a trip to South
Africa but were told by
doctors their daughter
couldn't fly any more so they
settled in Papakura.
Mr and Mrs Jeptha knew
their daughter was unlikely
to live beyond 18 but during a
visit to Starship Hospital last
week they were told the worst
possible news.
At first I didn't under-
stand. Even the doctor was
upset but I couldn't work out
what he was really saying,''
Mrs Jeptha says.
The pair then had to
explain to Lisa-Marie that
she didn't have much longer
to live.
There's no easy way to tell
your daughter that news and
there's never a good time to
talk about it but she's been
amazing through this whole
thing,'' Mrs Jeptha says.
There are some days
where I will just cry all
day and she just laughs at
me.
How can we be sad when
she's constantly smiling?''
So instead of moping about
her lack of time left, Lisa-
Marie has put her writing
ability to good use.
Her mum carries a note-
book of all Lisa-Marie's final
wishes including her funeral
plans featuring purple
orchids, pink lilies and white
roses throughout the venue.
Among her playlist for the
service is Stay by Miley
Cyrus which includes the
verse: I love you more than I
did before and if today I don't
see your face, nothing's
changed, no one can take
your place.''
She has also chosen
Rocketeer by Far East
Movement with the words:
Above the clouds in the
atmosphere. Just say the
words and we outta here.
Hold my hand if you feelin'
scared. We flyin' up, up outta
here.''
I liked the words about
going to another world,'' Lisa-
Marie says.
When asked by her mum
why on earth she'd bother
requesting a purple three-
tiered chocolate mudcake for
the funeral if she's not going
to get to taste it, she replied:
I'm going to be up there
watching people eat it.''
Mrs Jeptha says Lisa-
Marie's dealt with the situ-
ation with humour and she
wants to be remembered that
way.
She's even written in her
notebook that I have to speak
at the funeral and it says
remember to crack a joke'.''
Lisa-Marie has already
chosen the dress she wants to
be buried in, a purple satin
number with plenty of bling.
And yes, she wants to be
buried because she can't
stand the thought of her
beautiful purple coffin being
cremated.
Lisa Marie will get to wear
her dress for the first time
this weekend when she's the
guest of honour at a party at
Butterfly Creek in Manukau.
The party is being thrown
by a family friend. She says
she wants to do something
special for a girl and her fam-
ily who have been positive,
upbeat, sweet and handling
all that they have been
through with smiles and
laughter and positive words''.
Two of Lisa-Marie's aunts
are being flown up from
Christchurch for the party
along with her best friend
Taygan from her old school
Shirley Primary.
Lisa-Marie is also hoping
to have a purple-themed tea
party with her sisters Zoe
who's just 10 months old and
eight-year-old Cheyenne as
soon as possible.